Parshat Devarim: A Leader Who Taught Until the Very End

Parshat Devarim

Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22

 

This Shabbat we begin the final book of the Torah, Devarim/Deuteronomy, in which Moses begins his five-weeks long farewell speech to the children of Israel. Picture it - there they are, preparing to cross the River Jordan and begin their conquest of the Promised Land – and Moses decides to keep them standing and listening for five weeks. Why?

One explanation can be found in the Greek name of this book, Deuteronomy, which means "Second Law".  While in fact this translation is incorrect, in essence there is truth to it. We do not receive the “law”, the Torah, or the 10 Commandments, a second time. What we do receive is a retelling of the experiences that our people have been through since leaving Egypt and receiving the Torah.

 

Once before Moses had stood at the edge of the River Jordan hoping to enter the Land, yet that time the People were not ready. We had the incident with the spies and the subsequent punishment of wandering in the desert for 40 years until that generation died off. Fast forward 40 years and we are standing once again by the River Jordan. Moses might be remembering the last time he stood there, with the current people’s parents and grandparents. He now stands with a group of people who had never been slaves in Egypt and who did not experience receiving the Torah at Sinai.

 

Moses takes this time to bei’air et ha’torah ha’zot (1:5), to expound on or illuminate this Teaching/law. In other words, Moses decided to take his last moments on earth to leave an ethical will of sorts to his adopted children, the Children of Israel. Instead of sitting around and being bitter that he had led his people to the edge of a land that he was not allowed to enter, he chose to end his life with dignity by using his last moments as a gift, as teachable moments.

 

He begins by teaching that the new life that they are about to begin in the land of Israel— which includes obedience to God’s commandments—begins first in accepting responsibility for the Jewish past. That is why his first story is that of the spies – the parents of his listeners, the ones from whom they inherit the responsibility of being the Jewish people. He goes on to review the contents of the 10 Commandments and all the battles that were fought – both militarily and spiritually.

 

Parashat Devarim is always read upon the Shabbat preceding Tisha b’Av – which this year begins Monday night. On Tisha B’Av, the 9th day of the month of Av, we mourn a series of sorrowful events that happened to our people throughout history – beginning with the destruction of the holy temple, going on the tragic ending of the Bar Kochba rebellion and in more “modern times” Tisha B’Av is said to be the date of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain and the beginning of World War I. Tisha B’av is also the date upon which the spies told their lies about the goodness of the land of Israel.

 

I am always a bit sad when I begin the book of Deuteronomy and must begin anew the process of saying good-bye to Moses. But I take heart in the example he sets of how to leave this world with dignity. Moses leaves us with Devarim – the words of Torah that, according to Ibn Ezra, ensure the future of the Jewish people and according to Hosea, can return us to God.

 

 

1.  Are you familiar with the idea of an ethical will? Here is a good article to learn about it: http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/writing-and-reading-ethical-wills/

 

This dvar Torah has been printed in the Washington Jewish Week

 

Parshat Pinchas: Hope and Strength

“The plea of Zelophehad’s daughters is just: you should give them a hereditary holding among their father’s kinsmen; transfer their father’s share to them.” (Numbers 27:7)

 

In this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Pinchas, the daughters of Zelophehad provide an example of women who found the courage and conviction to stand before God, Moses, and the People of Israel, and petition for the right to inherit their father’s portion in the Holy Land so that their father’s name would be remembered.

 

I would like to highlight what this particular decree of God’s meant to Moses. We pick up the story a few verses later.

 

“God said to Moses, “Ascend these heights of Abarim and view the land that I have given to the Israelite people. When you have seen it, you too shall be gathered to your kin, just as your brother Aaron was.  For, in the wilderness of Zin, when the community was contentious, you disobeyed My command to uphold My sanctity in their sight by means of the water…” (27:12-14)

 

Rashi asks why these particular verses about the end of Moses’ life follow the conclusion to the daughters of Zelophehad saga. He wrote that when Moses heard God state in v7 “…you should give them a hereditary holding among their father’s kinsmen; transfer their father’s share to them,” Moses said to himself, “It is me that the Omnipresent has commanded to apportion the inheritance. Perhaps then the decree that I must die in the wilderness is annulled and I shall enter the Promised Land!”

 

We feel Moses having a very human reaction to the potential of these words. He recognized that he had disobeyed God in a very public manner and had been told what the consequence was – he would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land. Yet, the way that Moses hears God’s words gives him hope. Maybe, just maybe, God has rescinded the decree, and he would in fact be allowed to enter the land. His hopes are raised… and then immediately dashed, “Whereupon God said to him, “My decree remains exactly as it was.” (Midrash Tanchuma)

 

How many times have each of us had our hopes raised only to have them dashed again? How many times have we recognized that we erred and yet still tried to convince ourselves that things would turn out differently than we knew that they would? It is human nature to have hope, even when we know that the hope may not be grounded in reality. In fact, there are times when the only way one can carry on is to have hope, real or imagined.

 

How then do we react to this disappointment/loss of hope? Do we descend into melancholy, or do we pick ourselves up and continue on?

 

What do we learn from this? Instead of wallowing in emotion, Moses immediately thinks of the people he has led for so many years. He asks God to appoint a successor so that the people will have someone to lead them into the land and ensure that things will go as smoothly as possible once he dies. God heeds his request and names Joshua ben Nun as Moses’ successor. Moses lays hands on Joshua and commissions him to his new role.

 

Moses may have erred at Meriba when he struck the rock, but here, toward the end of his life, he shows exactly what type of man and leader that he is. May we all have lives filled with the strength of Moses.

 

Some food for thought:

What roles do hope and disappointment play in your life? Can this story of Moses act as an example for you? If not, is there another story in the Torah that provides you with inspiration?

 

 

Piercing the Darkness

A few weeks ago I traveled to Rochester NY to see the solar eclipse. Rochester was in the swath of the totality which meant that we were to experience up to over 3 minutes of total darkness in the middle of the afternoon. Unfortunately for us, the sky was filled with thick clouds which precluded us from seeing the eclipse itself. Despite this, what followed for me was an experience of pure holiness. The natural world became silent, the light slowly began to dim, and then suddenly we were plunged into complete darkness in the middle of the afternoon. I was filled with awe … and then immediately thought of the plague of darkness.

The Talmud, Avodah Zarah 8a, describes the first night that Adam and Eve experienced darkness. As their world darkened, Adam understood the existence of darkness to be because he had sinned and thus the world would descend to darkness and chaos. He fasted and wept while Eve wept alongside him.  Once dawn broke and light began to return to the sky, he said, “Evidently, the sun sets and night arrives, and this is the order of the world.” He then offered up a sacrifice and they went on with their lives.

 

Today we find a variety of reactions to darkness ranging from fear to acceptance to appreciation. Some find great inspiration in the dark while others only find monsters under their beds.

 

Just as there are different ways that people experience darkness, so too are there different ways that people experience the recitation of the 10 plagues during the Seder. These run the gamut from childish plays and silliness to serious discussion. They all end with us removing 10 drops of wine from our cups to remind ourselves not to rejoice at the downfall of our enemies and that experiences of freedom contain moments of pain.

 

I remember being fascinated when I first learned of a common rabbinic interpretation of the plague of darkness. The darkness was explained as something palpable, with texture, density, and weight. Those who were seated when the plague descended were unable to stand and those who were standing were unable to sit. Simply put, they could not move without literally bumping into the darkness. Nor could they see. The darkness we experience, whether at night or during the totality of an eclipse, can be pierced by the light of a candle or a flashlight. The darkness of the plague was impenetrable. Imagine the terror that accompanied this darkness. The fear that the darkness would never leave and that for many their lives were going to end. 

 

Today I share the fear of the darkness that has descended upon us all. I worry about the long-lasting effects of the state of the world that are manifesting in physical, emotional, psychological, and theological ways. I share an experience akin to paralysis that the war and the rise in antisemitism and general hatred worldwide have wrought.

 

I take comfort in the knowledge that the Jewish day begins in the evening with darkness and then continues on to be filled with light. I yearn for the day that that light shines brightly again.

 

 

~~~~~~

I am a rabbi at Congregations Hevrat Shalom and Shirat HaNefesh in Montgomery County, MD and also am a community chaplain and lifecycle officiant.

This Dvar originally appeared in the Washington Jewish Week, Passover 5784

Parshat Vayigash: Every Act We Take...

This week's Torah portion is Vayigash (Genesis 44:18-47:27). We are not yet slaves in Egypt. Judah and all the brothers have come to Egypt searching for food and while they meet Joseph, they do not yet know/recognize who he is. Last week, Joseph planted a goblet in Benjamin's pack to frame him for stealing - an excuse to keep his favorite (and only brother from the same mother) in Egypt with him as the rest of the brothers were preparing to go back to Canaan and Jacob. Judah (the one who was behind Joseph's alleged death) approaches Joseph to plead for Benjamin's release and to offer himself as a slave to the "Egyptian" Joseph. Joseph is so overcome by witnessing his brothers’ loyalty to one another that he finally reveals his identity by saying, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?"

These acts of brotherly love, remorse, and forgiveness set into play the final steps that will cause us to become slaves in Egypt. The brothers rejoice in finding their lost, and not dead!, brother. They return to Canaan to tell Jacob the news and then return with Jacob to Egypt to settle. It is only a matter of time before every one of this generation, most particularly Joseph, has died.  Then (in two weeks) we will read the fateful words in Exodus 1:8, "And there arose up a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph."  From there our 400 years of slavery will begin. 

 

We know, because it is in the Torah, that it was God's intention all along for the Israelites to become slaves, for Moses to become our leader, and for us to enter into the Promised Land. So this story had to play out as it did.  But what does it mean for us today? 

 

I often think of it as a cautionary tale - every individual action we take, every decision we make, leads to another and another and another. We have little control over "things" once they reach a certain point. Judah was the brother who encouraged the others to do away with Joseph. He felt he was able to control things on his end up to the point they told Jacob and eventually headed to Egypt for grain. After that... well we know what happened.

 

We are about to enter into a new year – 2024! For some reason, it still sounds futuristic to me. But what is very present is that we are living through one of the most difficult and confusing times of our lives. So what do we do? We remain aware that every decision we make will lead to another.  We use our words wisely and we remember that both the big and the small actions that we take can and DO make a difference. We must also permit ourselves to change course if and when needed. The one thing we can’t do is to give up. 

 

Shabbat Shalom

 

#BringThemHomeNOW #peace #OsehShalom #עושהשלום# שבתשלום

 

 

I fell in love… and fell off a camel!

I had always been fascinated by the story of how Rebecca reacted the first time she saw Isaac. Some English translations translate "va'tipol" as alighting from the camel, I translate this word as she fell off the camel. The visual of Rebecca actually falling off the camel  always appealed to me as a young girl when I first engaged with this text. Additionally, my hebrew name is Rivka/Rebecca so I have been called to write about Rebecca and her story. This is the first midrash I ever wrote.  Enjoy! 

 I fell in love… and fell off a camel!

The Original Order of the Verses in Bereshit/Genesis 24: 64-65

(סד) וַתִּשָּׂא רִבְקָה אֶת־עֵינֶיהָ וַתֵּרֶא אֶת־יִצְחָק וַתִּפֹּל מֵעַל הַגָּמָל: (סה) וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל־הָעֶבֶד מִי־הָאִישׁ הַלָּזֶה הַהֹלֵךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה לִקְרָאתֵנוּ וַיֹּאמֶר הָעֶבֶד הוּא אֲדֹנִי וַתִּקַּח הַצָּעִיף וַתִּתְכָּס:

(64) Raising her eyes, Rebekah saw Isaac. She fell from the camel (65) and said to the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” And the servant said, “That is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself.

The Reordering of the Verses for the Purposes of this Midrash

 וַתִּשָּׂא רִבְקָה אֶת־עֵינֶיהָ וַתֵּרֶא אֶת־יִצְחָק... וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל־הָעֶבֶד מִי־הָאִישׁ הַלָּזֶה הַהֹלֵךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה לִקְרָאתֵנוּ וַיֹּאמֶר הָעֶבֶד הוּא אֲדֹנִי ...וַתִּפֹּל מֵעַל הַגָּמָל...וַתִּקַּח הַצָּעִיף וַתִּתְכָּס:

Raising her eyes, Rebekah saw Isaac… and said to the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field toward us?” And the servant said, “That is my master.”… She fell from the camel… and she took her veil and covered herself.

I fell in love… and fell off a camel!

My family gave me a powerful blessing – the promise of Avraham – of continuity – of peoplehood – that was to flow through me and only me. As much as I love my immediate family, even I recognize that it is filled with those who practice deceit as easily as most draw breath. These are the ones who blessed me to create a people – can the source of a blessing turn it into a curse? Am I even worthy to be the wife of a tzaddik like Yitzchak? Or am I inherently evil as well? These are the thoughts that occupied my mind as I journeyed to meet my intended.

After a long while I lifted my eyes and saw a man walking across a field toward me. Even from where I sat on my camel I could see that he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. He was glowing and there was an angel walking beside him. I asked the servant who is that man (ha-lazeh) and he informed me that it was my husband-to-be, Yitzchak.

Is it possible for one’s life to change forever in the space of just a few moments? At the very moment I fell in love I received a terrible vision from Gd. From this union, from my joining with my beloved, from me, a child would be born who would cause misery and injury to his brethren for thousands of generations!

Suddenly I could not breathe. The world began to spin around me. The next thing I knew I was falling from my camel. I quickly covered my face with my scarf so the servant would not notice my pale face, my distress… my panic. I took a breath and rose to meet my future.

Let me know if you are interested in the sources for this midrash and I will post them.

Shabbat Shalom.

Pray for Peace

Parshat Vayerah: Knowing Our Moral Compass and Speaking our Truth

            There are many lessons to be learned from Vayera, this week’s Torah Portion (Genesis 18:1 - 22:24). There is an unspeakable war raging in Israel and Gaza. One thing that jumped out at me as a Jew living in the Diaspora during this soul wrenching time is that we all must live and speak our truth and be ready to defend this truth when it is challenged. We must know ourselves and we must speak up. At the same time, we see daily that there are consequences in every country in the world right now to speaking our truth and living our values but that does not allow us to stop doing so. 

            Brief recap from a section of this week’s Torah portion: God hears a crying out from Sodom, one of 5 cities God ultimately destroys due to their embrace of evil. In Genesis 18:17-21 God wonders whether or not to share the intention of destroying Sodom with Abraham, a testament to the particular relationship between God and Abraham. We assume that God does share God’s plan because a couple of verses later we encounter the following exchange (Gen 18:22b-32): 

 

22b … Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 

23 Abraham came forward and said, "Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty? 24 What if there should be fifty innocent within the city; will You then wipe out the place and not forgive it for the sake of the innocent fifty who are in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" 26 And the Lord answered, "If I find within the city of Sodom fifty innocent ones, I will forgive the whole place for their sake."

27 Abraham spoke up, saying, "Here I venture to speak to my Lord, I who am but dust and ashes: 28 What if the fifty innocent should lack five? Will You destroy the whole city for want of the five?" And He answered, "I will not destroy if I find forty-five there." 

29 But he spoke to Him again, and said, "What if forty should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not do it, for the sake of the forty."

30 And he said, "Let not my Lord be angry if I go on: What if thirty should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." 

31 And he said, "I venture again to speak to my Lord: What if twenty should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not destroy, for the sake of the twenty." 

32 And he said, "Let not my Lord be angry if I speak but this last time: What if ten should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not destroy, for the sake of the ten."

 

            What an amazing exchange! Abraham, a mere human, has the audacity, the chutzpah to challenge the Supernatural All-Powerful God of the Torah.  Not just to challenge to but to scold and bargain to boot – all in the name of saving innocent lives. The rabbis teach that the reason we are descended from Abraham and not from Noah is this very moment. Abraham actuated his morals and values and went to bat with God for innocent people that he did not even know while Noah did not even pray to save those that he did know.  

                        In the end, God could not locate 10 innocents in Sodom. God rains fire upon Sodom, Gomorrah and 3 neighboring cities known for having a skewed moral compass, for being evil, for endangering the poor and the stranger and anyone who tried to help them. 

            What was Abraham feeling right before and during that exchange? Fear? Moral indignation? Resignation that his personality was such that he must do what he must do, consequences be damned? I can’t even begin to discuss where his faith comes into all of this. In the end, though, we will never know what he was thinking and feeling. The best we can do is figure out how we would feel and act in a similar circumstance – or perhaps recall how we have felt and acted when we stood up for what’s right. When we spoke our truth. When we have lived our values. 

            Is this what our fellow Jews are feeling worldwide as they stand up for life, tolerance, safety, the gift of being Jewish and the right of our homeland to exist? Is this how those who are working to free those innocent hostages – the adults, the elderly, the children, the babies! – are feeling right now? 

            My blessing for each of us this Shabbat is that we are able to recognize our values and to speak our truth. We can speak aloud; we can speak softly. I used to thing that there is no right or wrong way to speak, to declare our truth but I was wrong. The wrong way is to be silent. I am in no way saying every one of us must shout and protest. But we must be honest enough with ourselves to identify and own exactly what is our truth and how do we bring it out into the world. Therefore, the key is to know our moral compass, and, for those who are able, to speak our truth and accept the outcomes of that action. All the while knowing, from Pirke Avot 2:16, ֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּהל - that even if we personally cannot impact the outcomes of events, that does not mean we are allowed to desist from trying. 

             

עם ישראל חי!

 

Note: This Dvar was originally written in 2020 but has been updated to reflect things I’ve been feeling/thinking about as the war in Israel and Gaza and the rise in hatred for Jews and the right of Israel to exist rages world wide as well as here in America, particularly on our college campuses. I can't help wondering if I am doing enough. 

Prayer for Peace by Landow House Residents

I want to share with you a Prayer for Peace in the words of the residents of Landow House Assisted Living, part of the Charles E Smith Life Communities of Rockville, MD
We had a prayer service on Tuesday 10/10/23 and then spent time talking and sharing. I took their words and turned them into a prayer.

Feel free to use this if it moves you.

Prayer for Peace

Words of the residents of Landow House Assisted Living, Charles E Smith Life Communities,

Dear God,
Creator of the Universe and all who are in it,
Wake up!
I am so angry. We are so angry.
How did this happen?
Open your eyes to see how your children need your help.
Bring the hostages home!
Stop the killing of babies and children and teenagers and elderly
Protect all our children and grandchildren
All your children and grandchildren

Please help me to continue to recognize the good
Teach me to turn the bad into the good

We’ve been beaten down before and likely will be again,
but we will always prevail
And make the most of life – again and again and again

Let security replace hopelessness and helplessness
Let love replace hate
Let peace replace war
Let understanding replace fear
For Israel and for the entire world

And let us say, Amen